The Semi-Italian Opening (also known as Half Giuoco Piano, Lesser Giuoco Piano, and Paris Defence) is one of Black's responses to the Italian Game.

[6][7] It begins with the moves: Black's intent is to play a Hungarian Defense with an early ...Bg4, fighting for control of the d4-square.

A. Horowitz called the defence "solid", also writing: "It does not seem quite sufficient for equality.

After 4...exd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 White has the freer game according to Paul Keres, and instead of 5...Nf6, Larry Evans has suggested 5...g6!?

The reply 4.h3 leads to lines similar to the Hungarian Defense, for example 4... Be7 5. d4 and now: This transposes to the game Maslov–Anatoly Lutikov, USSR 1963,[15] which continued 4...Bg4 5.h3 Bxf3 6.Qxf3 Nf6 7.Ne2 (or 7.d3) and White stands slightly better (Keres, Miroslav Filip).